My Utmost for His Highest Part 1
by Bow-of-Bronze
Summary: Starts right after OOTP. Harry refuses to stay with Snape over the summer and as they say, one thing leads to another...
1. The Dream that Changed it All

Disclaimer- I don't own anyone or anything in the story. All credit goes to J.K. Rowling

** Chapter 1:The Dream that Changed it All**

Harry James Potter stood in a high cold stone chamber. It could not be much barer than it already was. The décor of the room only consisted of a few torches scattered along the walls. There were, however, several dark shadows that could very well leave to different parts of the underground labyrinth. The design of it was not much different than that of the catacombs that early Christians used to hide in during the Roman Empire.

Harry stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down from a much higher length than usual. At his feet, blubbering and whimpering was coming from a short, cowardly little man with small watery eyes, a pointed nose, and a squeaky voice. He looked up at Harry, and with a slightly terrified voice said. "Master, it is almost ready. It only needs 24 hours to simmer as well as the boy's blood."

"Good. Hopefully this time you have done it _correctly_. For your sake that is." Harry's lip curled into a sneer as he reached his long white fingers into his cloak. He clutched his wand and fingering it.

Pettigrew flinched terribly as Harry twirled the wand slowly in his fingers.

"Wormtail. Fetch Bellatrix for me."

Wormtail stumbled to his feet and left the chamber through one of the shadows. He did not return, but moments later Bellatrix Lanstrange entered the room. Hooded and cloaked, Harry could not read her face. She bent low and kissed the hem of his robe.

"On your knees, Bellatrix." She got to her knees, but kept her gaze lowered. Harry made a motion with his hand, lifting her chin upward, forcing her to look at him. Sorrow and fear were etched over her entire face, as she trembled slightly, fearing the inevitable punishment awaiting her.

"You have greatly disappointed me. I gave you the simple task of luring Potter to the Ministry and retrieving the prophecy from him. You could not even achieve this. It was essential that I get that prophecy!" Harry had let go of her and was now starring hard at her, "Without it I have no way of knowing how to kill Potter! And YOU BLUNDERED IT!"

Bellatrix winced slightly. She had rarely seen him this angry and it would not help her now. She lowered her gaze to the floor, ashamed.

Harry circled around behind her and raised his wand, standing out of her reach. His voice became hard and cold and the anger coursed through him.

"In the future I expect better of you. _Crucio_!"

The chamber filled with Bellatrix's screams of agony and pain. The sound reverberated off the walls and the rather high ceiling making it ten times louder. Bellatrix writhed on the floor as the pain coursed through her entire body.

This went on for some time until she was hoarse from screaming and could no longer make any noise. Harry lifted the curse, satisfied.

Bellatrix lay on the cold stone floor, with her eyes closed, gasping for breath, making it excruciatingly painful to move. Harry strolled over to her and bent close to her ear and hissed, "Do not disappoint me again."

He strode from the room, leaving Bellatrix on the floor.

Harry awoke with a start, causing the person shaking him to jump back in surprise, resulting in the boy tripping and falling heavily to the floor.

"Harry, relax! You're alright! No one is going to hurt you." A person on the other side of him said. The person pushed him back so Harry was lying down on the bed. Harry realized he was soaked to the bone in sweat. The other person, who had fallen to the floor, had gotten up and was now wiping the cold sweat off of Harry's face. Harry felt a wave of nausea, leaning over the bed in time to be sick.

The voice that had spoken early, Harry now recognizing as Hermione's, spoke again, " Ron, run and get Lupin! Fast!"

Ron stopped wiping the sweat from Harry's face and bolted through and up a flight of stairs.

Lupin was the only adult with them tonight. Everyone else was out working for the Order; even Molly and Arthur Weasley. Harry had been staying at Grimmauld Place for the past week. He had spent the previous week at the Dursley's. It had been two weeks since school had ended.

Harry was panting and trying to catch his breath when Lupin came in followed closely by Ron. Lupin was dress in a rather shabby looking housecoat. Hermione got up from where she was to let Lupin get closer. Lupin saw the mess on the floor and waved his wand, making it disappear. He sat down next to Harry, checking his pulse, and putting a cool hand on Harry's forehead to check for a fever. He spoke softly to Harry, trying to get him to calm down.

Harry closed his eyes and started taking deep slow breaths to calm himself. Lupin sighed and turned to look at Hermione, "Hermione, I need you to fetch the _Calming Draught_ and the _Dreamless Sleep Potion_for me please. Ron can help you."

Both of Harry's friends left the room. Lupin reached over and grabbed the washcloth the Ron had been using. He tapped his wand to it, filling it with cold water.

"This will help cool you off, Harry." Lupin said as he placed the washcloth over Harry's eyes and forehead. Harry visibly relaxed at this and started calming down.

By now Ron and Hermione were back with the potions and handed them to Lupin.

"Harry, you need to sit up so you can drink this potion." Lupin said quietly as he undid the top of the _Calming Draught_. Harry removed the cloth from over his eyes and scooting back so he was leaning against the headboard. He took the bottle and drained it.

"That will help you calm down and relax." Lupin said as he took the empty bottle from Harry. Harry was already starting to feel better and the butterflies in his stomach were lessening. He reached over and got his glasses from the nightstand and put them on.

Ron and Hermione moved to sit at the foot of Harry's bed, while Lupin wiped the last of the sweat off of Harry's brow.

"Harry, I need to know what you were dreaming and tell me exactly what happened."

Harry explained everything to Lupin up until right before Voldemort tortured Bellatrix. He stopped for a minute to catch his breath, then finished telling them the rest of his dream.

"Harry, what was your position in the room?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean were you looking down from above onto the scene or were you a bystander…."

"Neither. I…I was…Voldemort." Harry replied, no louder than a whisper. Hermione and Ron both gasped and Lupin looked down at the floor.

"I was afraid of that," Lupin muttered. "I need to owl Dumbledore immediately about this," Lupin said as he headed toward the door. "Harry, take that _Dreamless Sleep Potion_, it will help you sleep. You two," gesturing to Ron and Hermione, "get to bed." Lupin left the room without another word.

Hermione got up and uncorked the _Dreamless Sleep Potion_ for Harry and handed it to him. She left the room and quietly closed the door behind her. Ron moved off of Harry's bed and crawled into his own. Ron flicked off the light just as Harry finished his potion and fell into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.


	2. A Bad Morning

Chapter 2: A Bad Morning 

Harry awoke to the sound of voices coming from another part of the house. Harry got dressed and followed the sound of the voices. _Well I won't need Extendable Ears to hear this conversation!_ Harry thought.

The voices were clearly unhappy and what sounded like Mrs. Weasley shouting, "NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! I WILL NOT ALLOW HIM TO BE MOVED WHEN THIS IS THE SAFEST PLACE FOR HIM!"

"Molly, be reasonable. If Voldemort, finds out where this place is we will all be in trouble-"

"Remus does have a point Molly. We can not endanger the members of the Order-"

"BUT THIS IS ABOUT HARRY'S SAFETY! NOT THE ORDER-" Molly shrieked.

"-Or Harry. This is the only way to keep everyone safe for the time being-"

"BUT I DON'T WANT HARRY TO BE WITH _HIM_! THEY CAN'T STAND EACH OTHER! HOW DO YOU EXPECT THEM TO GET ALONG!"

"This is on Albus's orders! And whether you agree with him or not, this is going to happen!" The finality in Arthur's tone stopped Molly in her tracks. She gave a slight huff.

"Well, _fine_. I see now that _my_ opinion of the boy does not matter. Good luck telling him." With a final huff, she turned and left the room.

"Well, Remus, I s'pose you ought to go tell Harry."

"Tell me what?" Harry asked as he entered the room.

Remus and Arthur jumped at this and turned to Harry. Arthur cleared his throat, "Well, Remus, I'll leave you to it." Arthur left the room and closed the door quietly behind him.

Remus motioned for Harry to come sit on the sofa. He kneeled down in front of Harry and placed his hands on Harry's shoulders.

"Well, there is no point in 'beating around the bush,' so I'll just say it." Remus look straight into Harry's eyes and continued, "Dumbledore replied back to me this morning and he want's you to go live with Professor Snape for the remainder of the summer holidays."

Harry sat dumbstruck as horror filled him. _How could they do this to me! One little nightmare and they're shipping me off to live with Snape!_

"That's not all, Harry." _More! How could it get any worse!_ Remus removed his hands from Harry's shoulders. "Dumbledore wants you to continue Occlumency with Professor Snape as well."

_No! This could NOT be happening! They were not going to make me live with Snape if I have anything to say about it!_

"No way!"

"Harry, it is for your own good. I know you do not like Professor Snape, but-"

"I AM NOT GOING TO GO LIVE WITH THAT GREASY SNIVELLING _GIT_!"

"Yes. You are. This is for your own safety as well as everyone else's. I know you don't like Occlumency much either, but you need to learn to block him out, before he realizes he can get into your head and find out about everything. If it makes you feel better, I wasn't to keen on the idea either."

"WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME STAYING HERE!" Harry was on his feet now.

"If You-Know-Who does figure out how to get into your thoughts or possess you again, it could blow our cover and we would all be in trouble." Harry crossed his arms and leaned against the wall stubbornly. Lupin sighed and walked over to him. "Living with Professor Snape is the last thing they'll expect."

Harry's eyes shot up as he glared at Remus, "I don't care! I'm not going!" He ran from the room, before Remus could catch him. He heard him calling after him as he torn from the house and ran into the forest behind Grimmauld Place. He kept running until he was far from the view of the house. He stopped and leaned against a tree, trying to catch his breath.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Came a drawling voice behind Harry. He spun around, wand raised, and looked into the cold, steely eyes of Lucious Malfoy, his wand pointed at Harry's chest. More Death Eaters appeared, surrounding Harry, all with wands raised.

"Baby Potter was naughty and got losty," came the annoying voice from Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry's mind was running fast, trying to think of some way to alert the others, for he knew there was no escape.

"I think baby Potter ought to have a lesson that bad boys get into trouble." Bellatrix raised her wand, but Lucious grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Bellatrix, don't be stupid. If you curse him, he'll scream and then we'll have company!" Lucious hissed in her ear. This caused her to lower her wand a bit, but still have it pointed at Harry. This had given Harry time to come up with an idea, but he would have to be careful. He only had one shot at it, so he would have to time it right.

Lucious turned back to Harry and sneered, "Potter, you can come peaceably or by force. Either way you're coming with us. It is your choice." Harry saw his chance and started coughing uncontrollably. He doubled over and continued coughing. All the Death Eaters looking puzzled. Finally one came over and started slapping Harry on the back. Harry straightened up so fast it knocked the Death Eater off balance. Harry pointed his wand straight up into the air sending red sparks high into the sky.

The death eater cursed under his breath as another shouted, "STUPEFY!"

Harry's world went black.

Remus let Harry go assuming he would go to his room. He could always speak to him again once he had cooled down, but when he didn't hear Harry on the stairs above him, he got worried. One could _always_ hear if someone was on the stairs.

Remus left the room, hollering up the stairs for Ron, Ginny, and Hermione to come down the stairs, ignoring Black's mothers wailing and screaming about people defiling the house of her fathers and such nonsense. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were able to close the curtains around the portrait on their way down. Molly and Arthur came in from another part of the house to see what all the ruckus was all about.

"Have any of you seen Harry within the last ten minutes?"

He received negative answers all around.

"Okay we all need to split up and find him. He was pretty upset last I saw." Remus was pacing back and forth. "Ron and Hermione, you check the upstairs. Arthur and Ginny you check the downstairs, and Molly and I will search the ground floor. Got it?" They all nodded.

They searched all over, but found no trace of Harry. When they all met up in the kitchen, it was Hermione who suggested they look outside. Everyone followed Remus to the back door. Remus opened the door and looked at the trees.

"Merlin's beard!" Arthur and Remus cried in unison, for they saw in the distance red sparks right above the treeline.

Remus bolted for the trees with Arthur right behind him. Arthur was shouting directions back at Molly to call for backup and make sure the children stayed put.

They ran for some time, until they thought they were around the area where they had seen the sparks. They slowed to a walk, wands at the ready, and began searching. They did not have to search long, for there in a bed of leaves lay Harry's wand.


	3. Heaven Help Me!

**Chapter 3: Heaven help me!**

Harry awoke groggily and moaned. He ached all over and had a splitting headache. His scar exploded in pain. His memories of what had happened came back in a rush.

He gasped as he tried to open his eyes and a blinding light hit his him. He shut his eyes quickly. He rolled over and moaned again as another wave of pain went through his scar.

"Well, glad to see you are awake, Potter." Said a high cold voice. Harry recognized that voice in an instant. It belonged to Lord Voldemort. Others around the room were laughing at Voldemort's comment. "Stand up, Potter."

Harry slowly got to his knees. Someone from behind grabbed him roughly by his forearms and pulled him to his feet. Voldemort was standing a few feet away with his hands clasped behind his back.

They were in a large, stone, circular chamber with torches on the walls. There was a large raised dias with a stone carved throne in the middle. It had intricate details with snakes carved along the bottom, the arms, which wound their way around the back of the chair. Dozens of Death Eaters were in the room watching the spectical. Harry glared darkly at Voldemort.

"So, Harry Potter. You are now finally able to see my humble abode." The Death Eaters howled with laughter, clapping each other on the back.

"Shove it, Voldemort, and tell me what you want." The laughter ended sharply at the mention of Voldemort's name. The Death Eater tighted his grip on Harry so hard the feeling was leaving his fingers. He struggled, trying to loosen the Death Eaters grip, but to no avail.

Voldemort took a few steps toward Harry, his gleaming red eyes narrowing to mere slits.

"Right down to business then. Tell me the prophecy right now and I'll spare you a long painful death."

They were glaring at each other, neither of them blinking. Harry looked Voldemort right in the eye and spat visciously.

"Well. Potter, it looks like we'll be teaching you some manners before you die," Voldemort backhanded Harry so fast and hard, he didn't even see it coming. Harry gasped as stars erupted in front of his eyes and the whole side of his face stung with pain. His glasses had flown off and shattered when they hit the floor.

The Death Eater who had been holding Harry up, suddenly let him go. He landed painfully on his hands and knees.

Voldemort took out his wand and pointed it at Harry, who was gasping on the floor, trying to get his bearings.

"_Crucio_!"

Pain erupted over Harry's entire body inside and out. A scream escaped his lips. It felt like sharp knives piercing him everywhere. The pain seemed to last for hours, in actuality, it was only a few minutes.

When Voldemort lifted the curse, Harry layed on his side, too exhausted to get up. Voldemort came over to him and knelt down. His cold red eyes burning into Harry. He leaned very close to Harry and hissed into his ear.

"Tell me the Prophecy, Potter."

Harry lay gasping and made a futile attempt to swing his hand at Voldemort. Like he would try and swat away an annoying fly buzzing in his ear.

Voldemort caught his wrist and started twisting it into a position it was not made to be. Harry let out a cry of pain, tears streaming down his face as the pain increased. A desperate panicky look came into his eyes and he moaned.

"Stop, please! Just stop!"

"I will if you tell me the prophecy." He twisted harder. Harry screamed as a sickening crack echoed into the room from his now broken wrist. Harry wringled, trying desperately to get out of Voldemort's grasp.

Voldemort rolled Harry onto his back and planted a knee onto his stomach, making Harry immobile. By now, Harry was very close to blacking out.

He gritted his teeth against the pain and summoned up the last of his energy and said with great effort:

"Never."

Harry welcomed the blackness.

Voldemort got off of the unconcious boy and glanced down at his wrist, which was lying at an odd angle. His eyes shifted to Harry's face; his jaw now turning an ugly blackish-purple. He spat in disgust at the sight of Harry's tear stained cheeks.

"Wormtail." He said sharply, "How long until the potion is ready?"

"Only six hours, my Lord," Pettigrew squeaked.

"Good. Leave the boy and wake him an hour before it is ready."

Voldemort's lip curled as the Death Eaters made a path for him as he strode from the room, letting out a high, cold, cruel laugh as he disappeared into the darkness.


	4. Conversations

Sorry everyone for being this long. I ment to post this chapter only a few days after the last one since it was so short. Time flies when you aren't looking. Enjoy and PLEASE Review!

**Chapter 4: Conversations**

Arthur and Remus trudged slowly back to Grimmauld Place and were met nearly half way back by about a dozen members of the Order.

"Death Eaters." Remus stated wearly, "about a dozen of them from what it looks like."

"Are you sure? Maybe it was just a bunch of teenagers messing around." Mundungus asked.

"Positive." Mr. Weasley said as he held up Harry's wand for all to see. A gasp of horror rippled through the crowd. Mad-Eyed Moody wore a look of mingled determination and anger.

"Show me where." Snape stated curtly.

"Of course, Severus." Remus said as he turned around to lead the way back to where they had just come from, while Arthur was giving instructions to the other members of the Order.

Remus and Severus walked far enough ahead of the others to be out of earshot.

"Did you tell him?"

"Yes, and he didn't take it well at all." Remus was silent for a moment, then continued, "I knew he would disagree, but I didn't think he would be stupid enough to run off. It's all my fault. I should have discussed it with Harry rather than order him there." Remus sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

"Well he has never been that bright when it comes to common sense and he has a temper on him that he needs to learn to control."

"I will not agree with you entirely, Severus, but I must admit that he does have a rather unruly temper. As for common sense, he is just fifteen years old! One can not expect him to go through all the pros and cons of something, before making a decision, then acting on it, especially not it the mood he was in."

"I'm only saying that Potter has little more that a year to master his emotions. Once he turns 17, _no one_ will be able to tell him what to do, and he could very well take risks that will almost indefinitely get him killed!"

Remus stopped dead in his tracks, halting Snape's progression as well.

"What?" Snape grumbled.

"It was starting to sound like you actually cared about Harry and his well-being." Remus chuckled with a sparkle in his eyes.

"I do not!" Snape snapped. "I was only stating the obvious and the facts of what will happen if Potter keeps going in the direction he is headed!"

Snape snorted in disgust as Remus laughed outright.

"We shall see, Severus, we shall see."

The weary members arrived at Grimmauld Place right around the time dinner was to be served.

Molly was busy running around the kitchen making last minute preparations when Remus, Severus, and Arthur walked through the back door.

"Molly, dear, it smells wonderful." Arthur said as he walked into the room, planting a loud kiss on Molly's lips.

Molly turned to the others as they came in and said, "You are all filthy and look exhausted. Go wash up before you eat." Remus complied, leaving the room and walking down the hall.

"Severus, are you staying for dinner?"

"No, actually. Dumbledore wanted me to check on the Dark Lord tonight. I had better be off." He turned toward the door when Molly shoved a plate into his hands.

"Severus Snape you are not leaving this house until you eat something. A full stomach clears the mind."

Snape grumbled under his breath as he filled his plate with food. _Molly always has to mother everyone!_

He ate quietly and had just finished when Remus came in. His plate was piled high with just about everything Molly had cooked. Snape took his plate into the kitchen and left without a word.

Snape arrived at what looked like a stone wall. He rolled up the sleeve of his robes and pressed his forearm flat against it. He let out a slight hiss as the skin branded with the Dark Mark was temporarily welded to the wall.

The wall seemed satisfied and let him go. A once invisible door slide open. Snape dunked slightly and rolled his sleeve back over his arm.

He walked down a dark tunnel with only the distant light of a torch shining in from one passageway or another. He continued on for some time, making a turn every now and then. He finally reached his destination. He bent low and kissed the hem of his master's robes, keeping his head down.

"Rise, Severus." Snape rose and followed the Dark Lord as he strolled down a passage.

"Wormtail tells me the potion is almost ready for the boy's blood. We need to move and wake him very soon." He turned to Severus, stopping their trek. "I would like you to not only do this next part for me, but also administer the potion when the time is right.. You might be the only one who will be able to draw the Prophecy out of him."

"As you wish, my lord."

"He has withstood more than we planned and it may be tricky to get it out of him."

"Not with what I have in mind." Snape reached into his robes and pulled out a small vial filled with a crystal clear potion. "Vertiserum. Enough for him to tell you anything and everything you could every want to know from Potter."

"Severus, you're a genius!"

They walked down the corridor discussing other, less pressing matters.


	5. I should not have said that!

AN: I'm soooo sorry for such a long wait between chapters. I ment to post this chapter a couple weeks ago and didn't get to it. Thanks for your patience. Just so everyone knows the chapters do get longer as the story goes along. I promise! **Chapter 5: I should not have said that!**

It was time to move the Potter boy and Snape knew it. He would have to force Potter within the next week or so to drink the Veratiserum. Or at least what everyone thought was Veratiserum. In actuality Snape had invented something that looked exactly like it, only instead of someone telling the truth when asked, they would merely only tell part of the truth and the rest would be false. It would however be so convincing, that unless the person asking the questions got their answer from another source, they would never know that they were not getting the complete truth. The only other person who knew about this potion was Dumbledore, and even then he placed strict rules over it only using it under the most direr of circumstances.

Snape walked into the room where Harry had been left on the floor lying unconscious. He hissed ever so slightly when he saw the boy's injuries. Snape felt something inside himself twang, as he bent low and gently picked Harry up into his arms, being careful not to damage his wrist any more than it already was.

He walked with Harry for some ways and at last entered the desired room. It could not be much more than 12 feet square from one end of the room to the other. In the middle was a stone slab built up high enough to use as a table. In the corner, a small cauldron was sitting atop a magically conjured fire. Other than that, there was nothing else in the room, except for a couple of torches on the wall.

Snape laid Harry on the table and was just finishing getting him set up and ready when Voldemort walked into the room followed by several others.

"Looks like you've been rather busy, my lord." Snape commented. He noticed the Death Eaters behind him had all been in Azkaban, all except Pettigrew and Bellatrix Lanstrange, that is.

"I was just about to wake Potter, my lord." Snape bent over Harry, shaking him and slapping his face lightly, being sure to slap the side that was uninjured.

Unbeknownst to them, Harry had already woken up, but had kept purposely still and his breathing steady, as though he were sleeping.

Death Eaters were laughing at Snape, not really paying attention. _If I can just wait for the right moment, I could make a run for it._ He was not tied down so this would make things a little easier. He let the hand slap him and shake him a little more. Harry even let the man start shouting "Potter!' at him, not paying any attention to who it might be. The Death Eaters were again howling with laughter and stamping their feet. Harry had not noticed that through all the noise, Lucius Malfoy had left the room.

Harry saw his chance, he jumped up startling everyone in the room, Snape most of all. Harry tore out of the room, clutching his broken wrist and trying to ignore the pain in his face.

He realized too late that he did not have his glasses. Everything was blurred in front of him. He ran as hard and as fast as he could in his present state.

Harry nearly fell over when something, or rather someone, grabbed him around the waist, halting his break for freedom. To Harry's utter dismay, Lucius Malfoy's voice drawled in his ear.

"I believe you are going the wrong way, Mr. Potter." Lucius kept a tight grip around Harry's waist and put his other arm across Harry's shoulders. He hauled Harry back the way they had come, half-dragging, half carrying him. Harry kicked and squirmed trying with all his might to wriggle out of Lucius's grasp. As they neared the room Harry had only seconds before retreated from, Harry was able to place a hard kick to one of Lucius's legs. Lucius, however kept a tight hold on Harry, preventing him from getting away.

"If I had my way, Potter, I'd take a belt and give you one good licking." He hissed as he hauled Harry through the doorway.

"All in good time Lucius, all in good time." The Dark Lord replied. He turned to Harry as Lucius threw him onto the table. "If you do that again Mr. Potter, you will find yourself with more than a broken wrist to your record."

Snape conjured ropes that wrapped around Harry, tying everything together except his left arm, the arm without the broken wrist.

"YOU!" Harry shouted when he saw Snape, "I knew it!"

"We finally get to see each other outside of my regular teaching job that involved teaching narrow-minded, thick-headed, ego-seeking, dunderheads such as yourself. This time however there is no Dumbledore to help you get out of trouble." Snape sneered at Harry.

Harry just glared at him. Snape reached into his robes and pulled out a syringe with what looked to Harry, like a very long, sharp needle. Harry stiffened as Snape raised it.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Potter. It is your choice." Harry continued to glare at Snape holding his free arm as close to his body as he could.

Snape glanced over at Voldemort, who gave Snape a slight nod. Snape waved his wand, creating an armrest. He grabbed Harry's arm, forcing it to lie flat across the armrest, underside up. He conjured a rope to wrap tightly around the boy's wrist making him immobile. Snape had set the syringe down and reached into his cloak, pulling out a creamy white potion in a very small vial.

"Do you know what this is Potter?" Snape asked as he showed it to Harry.

"No." Harry replied flatly.

"This potion makes the pain receptors in a person's skin 100 times more sensitive than normal. So if I put this on your arm, then insert the needle, the pain will be so excruciating that you will more than likely burst a few blood vessels. It will hurt more than anything you have ever felt before, including the Crutatus."

Snape uncorked it and started tipping the bottle, right over Harry's exposed arm. Harry was now breathing very fast. Just as the first drop was about to fall, Harry shouted, "Alright!"

Snape stopped what he was doing, " 'Alright' what?"

"I'll…I'll corporate." Most of the Death Eaters standing around looked absolutely crest fallen, a couple of them letting out disappointed sighs.

Snape recorked the vial and slipped it back into his robes. He waved his wand, making the ropes wrapped around Harry's wrist disappear.

Harry flexed his fingers, trying to get the feeling back into them. He clenched his fist and shut his eyes as Snape inserted the needle into Harry's arm.

Harry had always had a secret fear of needles, though he had never told anyone about it. So when Snape had inserted the needle, Harry had felt himself going lightheaded. He was fighting desperately to keep himself from passing out.

"Severus, he is going pale. We cannot afford for him to black out right now."

"Another moment…done!" Snape took the needle out of Harry's arm and applied something on Harry's arm where it had been inserted.

Snape raised his wand to untie Harry when one of the Death Eaters shouted," Don't untie him! He'll try to escape again!"

"He will not. He doesn't have the strength." With that, Snape waved his wand, making the ropes holding Harry down, disappear. Snape helped Harry sit up.

"Put your head between your knees, Potter, and sit like that for a couple minutes." Snape commanded. Harry, to his surprised, obeyed without complaint.

"The boy's blood needs to be added to the potion every twelve hours for the next week, then it will be ready," Snape said as he put three drops of Harry's blood into the potion. The potion turned a deep black, then changed back to its brilliant blue.

"Well looks like all of you will have the chance to have a bit of fun with Mr. Potter." Voldemort told the Death Eaters standing around. Harry still had his head between his knees and did not respond.

"My lord, might I suggest you wait until morning?"

"Why wait!" snapped Bellatrix.

"Because Potter is extremely weak right now, and he would be less likely to pass out if he had some rest and a little food."

"Excellent suggestion, Severus! Move the boy to one of the cells. He can stay there until the potion is ready."

"As you wish, my lord."

Voldemort left the room, as Snape moved to get Harry. He grabbed the boy's forearm and pulled him roughly off the table. Harry stumbled, still slightly lightheaded. Snape jerked him upright and walked him to the door.

" 'Excellent suggestion, Severus!' " came the high pitched baby voice of Bellatrix.

"Snape turned sharply around dragging Harry with him. "Shut up, Bellatrix!"

She stopped when she looked at Snape. Snape turned back around taking Harry with him. The other Death Eaters did not follow them.

They walked a little ways before Harry swooned. Harry caught himself and they continued. Snape let out an exasperated breath when this happened for the third time.

"Potter. You're pathetic." Snape grabbed Harry on the back of his knees and scooped him into his arms. He carried him into an empty cell, laying him on the bare floor and putting a little bread and a flask of water next to Harry. He stood up and walked out, locking the cell door behind him.


	6. Broken and Branded

Thank you all so much for your reviews! I really appreciate it! I'm thanking everyone by posting the next chapter. Thanks once again! Enjoy! Chapter 6: Broken and Branded 

The following days leading up to the completion of the 'potion', were the worst Harry had ever had in his life. Worse than his evenings of detentions with Umbridge or his Occlumency lessons with Snape.

The Death Eaters were having the time of their lives coming up with new tortures to test out on Harry. They did everything from acid tortures to the Crutatius Curse.

They would break a finger or a toe, give Harry potions to heal it back to normal then break it again. By the end of the one week, Harry had had all his fingers and toes broken at least half a dozen times. He was sure he had had every bone in his body broken, except his neck and his back. They had even managed cracking his skull once, but had decided not to do it again for fear of giving him mental problems before they got all the information they wanted out of him.

Harry had cuts and bruises all over his body. His clothes were in rags. He was filthy and in desperate need of a shower. They gave him a roll and a small bit of water twice a day. They let him sleep no more than six hours at a time, enough rest to keep him from passing out during one of the torture sessions, but not enough to give him full strength or feel rested.

Every now and then he would see the blurred shape of Snape walk briskly by, not even glancing in his direction. What puzzled Harry most was Snape never once came in to torture him. It was always Bellatrix Lanstrange, Avery, Dolohov, Lucius Malfoy, or some other Death Eater.

Harry also had big ugly lashes down his back, making it impossible to sleep on it, and being unable to sleep on his stomach, due to the fact that he had a badly bruised rib and a cracked one. So most of the time he ended up sleeping on his side or sitting up.

Many a time he wished he could just die and not have to live with it anymore. Thoughts of Ron, Hermione, all his other friends and the people who cared about him, made him keep going, holding on for them. It would not help them any if he were to die, then no one would be able to stop Voldemort and the Wizarding World as they knew now would no longer be.

It was the morning before the potion was ready. Harry was lying on the floor of his cell getting what little sleep he could, when someone threw open his cell door with a loud bang, dragging him to his feet and found himself being hauled down the corridor by none other than Lucius Malfoy. This was the second time this had happened and Harry was none too pleased.

"Where are we going?" Harry demanded

"You'll see when we get there." He growled through clenched teeth. "And shut your mouth, Potter, or I'll shut it for you!"

Mr. Malfoy was clearly miffed about something, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea about what it was.

Lucius threw Harry into the room. Harry inhaled sharply and started gasping when his chest made contact with the hard floor. He was pulled to his feet.

"Well, Harry, I'm glad to see you're still alive and kicking." The Death Eaters laughed. "Do you know why you are here?"

"Considering this moron," Harry said, jerking his head in Mr. Malfoy's direction, "wouldn't tell me anything, then I guess my answer is no."

Voldemort waited a few seconds before answering, "You know Lucius, I think you should have hit him harder, he might have been more respectful."

"He doesn't deserve any." Harry shot back.

Mr. Malfoy gave Harry a very nasty sneer.

"Anyway, as I was saying; You were brought here, Mr. Potter, to help me with something I will be trying during the duration of the war-"

"Great I get to be the guinea pig again." Harry muttered.

"Do not interrupt me Potter that's rude," Voldemort paused before continuing, "Every person that will receive the high honor to come and visit this place will in return receive a special mark, before they die." Voldemort took out his wand and drew in the air what looked like an "L" and a "V" with a snake intertwining both letters.

It all finally clicked for Harry.

"A brand!" He shouted angrily, "What in the world would be the STUPID PURPOSE OF A BLOODY BRAND!"

"Language, Potter, language. The purpose would be so when we are done and we chuck the person's body out of here, the wizarding world will know that they died at the hands of Lord Voldemort and the world will fear my name twenty times over!"

"You know, _Voldemort,_" Harry replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "This is really starting to sound like a rerun of Hitler. Were you two buddy's at one time and you're finishing where he left off?" Harry had gone wwwaaayy too far, more than he actually intended. Voldemort was livid, shaking with rage.

"HOW DARE YOU COMPARE ME WITH THAT PYSCHO-MANIAC OF A MUGGLE!" He roared.

The next thing Harry knew, he was on the floor screaming as the Crutiatus Curse coursed through his body. It didn't help with the scars on his back or with the truckload of bruised bones and sores. The Crutiatus only made it worse. The lashes on his back burst open, starting to bleed all over the place.

It was several minutes before Voldemort lifted the curse. As soon as he did, and Harry voice had died off, a voice from the doorway spoke.

"He is just like the Mudblood, Granger. He never shuts up when given the opportunity." It sneered.

Harry's jerked his head toward the voice, for he instantaneously recognized it as Snape's. He got to his feet shakily and headed toward Snape with a half-mad glint in his eyes, ignoring the pain that was flowing through him to his very core. Sadly, however, Death Eaters grabbed him, holding him at bay. He shouted to Snape from across the room, where he could just make out the blurred figure of Snape.

"I'LL KILL YOU, TRAITOR!"

"I really would like to see you try, Potter." Snape sneered as he left the room.

Harry struggled in vain to free himself from his captors.

"It's time." Harry heard the cold, icy voice of Voldemort say, "Take off his shirt. I want to test this."

The remainder of Harry's shirt was stripped from him. He felt a cold draft rush through the room and shivered.

"Down on the floor and hold him."

Harry was layed on his stomach and the two Death Eaters who had been restraining him before, were pinning him to the floor. One of them shoved a piece of wood in between Harry's teeth. Harry threw him a nasty look. The Death Eater laughed and said, "Your gonna need it kid."

The tip of Voldemort's wand turned white hot. He lowered it, touching the tip of it to Harry's skin on the back of Harry's left shoulder. Harry bit down hard on the wood, sweat beads forming on his brow. He bit down so hard his jaws were aching and a trickle of sweat ran down his face.

Voldemort ended the testing, satisfied. He blew on the tip of his wand like one would do with a smoking gun. The Death Eaters on top of Harry turned him over onto his blood-smeared back, pinning him again, only this time another Death Eater came and stretched out Harry's right arm, palm up. Voldemort lowered his wand tip a second time. It took much longer this time, for he did it slowly to make sure it came out right. He branded the Boy Who Lived about an index finger's length away from his wrist.

To Harry it seemed to take an eternity. Near the end, finally giving in to his exhaustion and fatigue, he passed out.

Voldemort lifted the tip of his wand from Harry's skin not thirty seconds later, very pleased. The brand had come out exactly as he envisioned it.

"Leave the boy here. We will get him tonight when the potion is ready."

The Death Eaters holding Harry down got to their feet, one retrieving the piece of wood that he had put into mouth. They left the room, closing and locking the door behind them.


	7. Anger Management Problems

AN: Slight bit of romance in this one. No Harry, Sorry. It may be a couple weeks before I update again because I haven't put the rest of the story on my computer yet. These first seven chapters were, but don't worry! This story will not be abandoned anytime soon, and hopefully never will. Later on in this chapter Snape says Harry won't be staying with him. DON'T PANIC. Harry WILL be staying with him. Enjoy! **Chapter 7: Anger Management Problems**

Remus stood in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place with Arthur, Molly, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George. Remus was pacing the room anxiously while everyone else sat quietly at the kitchen table. They were all worried and the tension in the room was high. They were all waiting up for Professor Snape to come over and inform them about any of the whereabouts of one Harry Potter. Snape had gone to see Dumbledore hours ago.

"He should be back already!" Remus stated impatiently.

At that moment someone rapped loudly on the front door. Remus bolted from the kitchen to open the door. The rest of them waited in the kitchen as they heard the front door open, then close. Then what sounded like two men walking toward the kitchen. Remus stepped in followed closely by none other than Severus Snape.

The second Snape walked into the room, he was bombarded with a hundred questions at once. He held up a hand and the room went silent.

"I suppose you would all like to know of the whereabouts of young Mr. Potter." They all nodded simultaniously. "Very well. Potter was kidnapped by Death Eaters, for those select few who did not know." Snape throwing a glance toward where the youngest people stood, getting several well place glares in return. He knew that Molly, Arthur, and Remus had told them nothing, to keep their anxiety over Harry to a minimum. The kids all had horrified looks on their faces, and the girls were close to tears.

"We are working on a rescue mission right now and that is all I will say in front of the children." Uproar was almost instantaneous.

"We are not children!" Fred and George shouted in unison.

"We aren't either," argued Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

"We are _teenagers_!" Ginny piped up.

"And Harry's friends! We can handle it!" The five teenagers said as one.

"Honestly I don't think you can! The last few times something has happened to him, one, some, or all of you end up missing and getting into danger yourselves! So no I don't think you will be able to handle it _responsibly_!"

"YOU DON'T THINK SO!" Ron roared, "WHAT DOES IT MATTER WHAT YOU THINK! I HAVE BEEN HARRY'S FRIEND SINCE HE CAME TO HOGWARTS! AND I WOULD LIKE TO BLOODY WELL KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED TO HIM AND HOW **_WE_** ARE GOING TO GET HIM BACK!" Ron took a breath before he continued his rantings, "AND IF I FIND OUT THAT A SNIVELLING-GREASY-NO-GOOD **_GIT_** LIKE YOU HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT, I'LL-"

Ron's ragings were cut short by the chorus of two very angry parents. "**RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!**"

"OUTSIDE! RIGHT NOW!" Mr. Weasley yelled to everyone's surprise. Arthur Weasley hardly ever raised his voice at his children, let alone yelled. The three left the room all of them flaming red in the face. Ron slammed the door shut so hard behind him that some of the pictures fell off the wall with a crash. Those left in the kitchen could hear shouting moving down the hall. Another door opened then slammed shut, causing the portrait of Mrs. Black to start screaming and shouting. Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George all left to go silence Mrs. Black's ranting and raving, leaving Remus and Snape alone in the kitchen. They each waved their wands at a downed frame, causing them to repair themselves.

Snape looked up at Remus and continued, "The Headmaster and I discussed what was going to happen to Potter once he is rescued." Snape paused, "He had decided he will go back to live with the Dursley's. Once I am able to rescue Potter, my cover will most likely be blown and I will not be able to contiue my spying for the Order. There would then be no point for Potter to come and stay with me as there will most definitely be a price on my head."

Remus nodded his head slowly in understanding, "He will be safer there, with the wards and everything. The only problem is, we will have to station wizards to guard the place day and night."

"It will be at least a couple days, before I will be able to rescue him. We have to time it just right otherwise it could fail and I would be killed. Mr. Potter would then be worse off than where he started…"

Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly. "Well, Lupin, I believe that is all, so I will be leaving. I ask that you don't inform anyone outside the Order, including the children."

"Good luck, Severus."

Snape turned around and left the house, his cloak billowing behind him as a warm summer's breeze ruffled through them.

Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George came downstairs just as the front door closed. They looked at each other, all coming to the same conclusion. The four teens tiptoed down the rest of the stairs so as not to wake Mrs. Black's portrait. Once off the stairs, they ran to the kitchen to see if they could get any information on where or how Harry is.

To all of their disappointment and annoyance, Remus would not tell them anything except what they had already heard. The group slowly trudged back up the stairs, Hermione bringing up the rear.

Hermione was just turning into the room she and Ginny shared when Ron came up the stairs red as a beet, but with a determined look on his face. He motioned for Hermione to follow him to the room he used to share with Harry.

Hermione walked in and closed the door behind her giving Ron a quizzical look. Ron turned back to her, pulling Hermione into his arms, giving her a long, hard, passionate kiss. They broke apart slowly, Hermione was now utterly confused.

"Ron…what in the world was that for?"

'That was very well the last chance I'd get to do that. I wanted to let you know how I felt about you." Ron looked stricken, yet determined.

"What do you mean……you aren't……no." Hermione was frantically scanning his face as her voice quivered. "You can't Ron! You just can't! You'll get into serious trouble when you make it out of there, not to mention possibly killed!" Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she saw the resolution in Ron's eyes. She realized at once that nothing she could say or do would change his mind. She would just have to go to, to make sure he stayed alive.

"I'm going too."

"Hermione-" Ron whined half-heartedly.

"I'm going to help you rescue Harry. You are not going to die a hero's death. Not while I'm around. Besides, who's going to save you if you get captured?"

"You mean 'when'." Ron muttered under his breath, not intending for Hermione to hear, but she did.

"If, Ron, if! Think positive." She smiled as she gently stroked his cheek with her hand. "What would I do without you, Ron Weasley?" Hermione whispered. Now it was Hermione's turn to kiss, only she did it gently, her lips trembling slightly as a tear escaped from the corner of her eye.

"Alright. Let's go."

They grabbed their wands and jackets, making sure to stuff their pillows under their bedcovers to make it look like they were sleeping in their respective beds. They crept down the stairs and were just about to slip out the back door when an idea hit Hermione,

"Ron, is Harry's Invisibility Cloak upstairs?"

"Yeah, do you want me to grab it?"

"Yes, and be as quiet as you can. I'll wait here."

Ron slipped into the darkness of the hall, being careful to slip past the kitchen door quietly. A light was coming out from under the door. While Ron went to get the Invisibility Cloak Hermione crept closer to the closed door to try and get snatches of the conversation taking place. Amazingly Mrs. Weasley had forgotten to put a silencing charm on the door, so it was not hard to here what was going on inside.

"…Snape indicated that it was somewhere close where You-Know-Who came back…."

"…And isn't that in a place called Little Hangleton or something?"

"Yes and from my understanding it is about 200 miles north from Little Whinging…"

At that moment Ron came back with the Invisibility Cloak, handing it to Hermione, he quickly covered his mouth to stifle a sneeze. The conversation inside the kitchen stopped abruptly. They pressed themselves as flat against the wall as they could, not daring to breath. The door opened, and Ron and Hermione could see the shadow of Mr. Weasley with his wand out looking up and down the hall. Thankfully Ron and Hermione were behind the door and went unnoticed. Mr. Weasley went back into the kitchen, closing the door behind him. They heard him mutter a spell, making it so Ron and Hermione could hear no more of what was going on in the room.

They let out their breath slowly, barely able to believe their luck. Ron jerked his head toward the back door. They slipped silently out the back door. Ron and Hermione, hand in hand, going to their almost certain deaths to save their friend. Heads held high, they disappeared into the darkness.


	8. Lost in the Dark and Nowhere to Turn

**Chapter 8: Lost in the Dark and Nowhere to Turn**

Harry awoke to a burning pain in his arm. He tried lifting his head to see what was wrong with his arm, but the room started to spin. He lowered his head again and the room stopped spinning. This time, instead of trying to move his head, Harry moved his arm into his field of vision.

What he saw made him gasp. It had not just been a bad dream. They had really done it. On his right arm, he saw two letters, "L" and "V" with a snake intertwining them. It stood out jet black on his pale skin. He groaned as he realized he would be wearing this horrid brand for the rest of his life.

Harry raised his head, more slowly this time; blackness clouded the edges of his vision, then dissipated. He rolled onto his side slowly, pausing to catch his breath. He looked up glancing around the room and realized the Death Eaters had left him in the same room as they had branded him in. Harry gingerly got to his feet, leaning heavily against the stone wall for support. Through his blurred vision, he could just make out, to his utter astonishment and surprise, that someone had left the door slightly ajar.

Harry made his way around the room, leaning against the wall every now and then to rest. He finally made it to the door. Harry rested a bit, then grabbed the door and pulled with all his might. The door gave way just enough room for Harry to slip through.

Much to Harry's surprise, there was not a single Death Eater anywhere. The corridor was eerily silent. He moved quickly down the hall and turned down another passage. Still, there was no one there.

'_Well this is odd,'_ Harry thought, _'Usually there is at least someone somewhere.'_ Harry's instincts started to kick in, telling him that something wasn't quite right. He ran down another corridor, trying to stay in the shadows the best he could. This turned out to be a difficult at times, considering he no longer had a shirt, making his pale, bruised skin stand out a brilliantly luminescent color in the torch light.

Harry went on like this for some time, scampering from shadow to shadow, avoiding the icy torchlight at all costs. Harry was just deciding that this was not a good idea and was about to turn back and try a different way when two Death Eaters came around the corner, headed straight for him. He didn't have a chance of turning around now. There was not a single hiding place in sight that he could get to before the Death Eaters spotted him, except…there! A door! And it looked dark in there. He could hide in the room till they were gone.

Harry ran for it and entered the dark room. He squinted, trying to see farther in the room, but to no success. It was pitch black. Suddenly, Harry heard a _whoosh_. At the same time torches around the room, seemed to spring to life as they were "magically" lit. Harry spun around to try and get out, but it was no use. The _whoosh_ he had just heard, was an almost invisible barrier that blocked the doorway. He was trapped.

Harry turned around slowly, afraid of what he might see. To his horror, Voldemort stood in front of him with an ugly, sinister grin spread across his face.

"Glad to see you found the place, Harry. I was beginning to think you were getting lost. We can't have had that now could we."

Cloaked figures sniggered from the shadows of the room.

'_Why does trouble always find me!' _Harry thought to himself.

"Severus, explain to young Harry here, what this potion is and its purpose."

A cloaked figure with a stark white mask stepped from the shadows and gave a curt nod. Harry lunged for him; He closed his hands around Snape's throat, knocking them both to the floor. They rolled around on the floor for a few seconds before another Death Eater pulled Harry off of Snape, twisting Harry's arm, behind his back.

Snape had gotten to his feet, his hair astrew and his robes disheveled. He straightened his robes; not bothering to pick up the mask that had slipped off his face and onto the floor during the scuffle.

"The only thing you'll kill with that grip, Potter, is a tadpole." Snape sneered.

Harry and Snape were only three feet apart. Harry mustered as much spit as he could in his mouth and spat. The saliva hit right on the side of Snape's face. Cold fury washed out him.

Before Harry could blink, Snape had whipped out his wand and pointed it in Harry's face. "Why you insolent little-"

"Enough!"

Both Snape and Harry turned to look at the Dark Lord. He had an annoyed look on his face. Snape lowered his wand, putting it back inside his robes, and wiping the spit off his face.

"My apologies, my Lord." Snape muttered. Harry was hoping Voldemort would punish Snape. _'Would serve the grease-git right!' _he thought. But to Harry's disappointment, he did not.

Instead Voldemort came over to him. He grabbed Harry's arm, the one with the horrid brand. He turned his arm so it was facing up. Voldemort took his wand from his robes and pressed the tip to Harry's branded skin. The pain was instantaneous. It shot up his arm like wildfire. Harry screamed trying desperately to yank his arm from Voldemort's grip. The Dark Lord raised his wand, a cruel smile on his face.

"I must say I am pleased it has worked so well. Every time I brand a new 'guest' all previously marked will feel the burn of the wand all over again, or when ever I touch the brand on any of those branded, all will feel it."

He roughly let go of Harry's arm, which Harry brought close to his body, trying to squeeze out the pain.

"Severus." He said sharply, "continue on your explanation to Harry."

"As you wish, my lord." Snape cleared throat, throwing Harry a hate-filled glare, before continuing. "This potion is dangerously powerful. The drinker will become extremely ill and on death's door you might say, but will not die. Although he wishes he would die. The drinker develops a high fever; the immune system will not function properly, causing the victim to catch colds and influenza very easily. The DNA in the blood tells the potion how far it can go without killing the person whose blood was placed in it. It will also cause excruciating pain by causing the internal organs to swell, but will cause no fatal harm. Lastly, Mr. Potter," Snape spat, "it will speed up the person's heartrate to nearly double, making it more difficult for the injestor to get enough oxygen." Snape had been talking to Harry with his back turned, as if he were back at Hogwarts in his Professorship role, but now he turned around standing almost nose to nose with Harry. He glared Harry in the eye, finishing his explanation, "If _any_ potion is taken in conjunction with this one other than the antidote, the original potion will become confused and the drinker _will_ die."

Harry arched an eyebrow, "And the purpose?"

"To get more information out of the subject. Weaken them enough to get answers out of them." Snape replied nastily.

"Now you'd fit perfectly into the 'weaker people' category. Do you enjoy being Voldemort's lap dog? I see no benefit in it. All you do is grovel on the ground, licking the boots of your _dear lord_! I see nothing in it but SLAVERY!" Harry finished heatedly. Snape was visibly shaking with fury at Harry's goading.

Snape whipped out his wand once again and said the unspoken word, "Legilemens!"

Images rushed to the front of his mind. Cedric lying dead, sprawled on the ground eyes open, staring out with an empty shock…Sirius falling slowly through the veil…Hermione lying still on the floor in the Department of Mysteries… Harry carving out the words, "I must not tell lies" onto his hand and Umbridge giving him a lifetime ban on Quidditch…

Harry found himself doubled over, half coughing, and half-sobbing. When Snape released the spell, Harry fell to the floor shaking like a leaf. That combined with the coughing and sobbing caused his stomach to cramp up. Harry's body went through the actions of vomiting, but as there was nothing in his stomach, nothing was expelled.

A wave of exhaustion hit Harry like a head-on collision with a freight train. He could barely fight it off. He would not be taken this easily! Harry had his arms wrapped around his stomach. He raised his tear-streaked face to look at his traitorous Potions Master. The look was so full of hate, malice, and betrayal that it caused Snape to take a fraction of a step back. He had never realized a boy so young could have such hatred, such anger. _What have I done?_


	9. Stealth in the Night

Readers: I am so sorry for taking so long in updating. Before you know it time gets away from you. I hope to have another chapter posted for you before Christmas break is over. I have part one written, I just have to find the time to type it up and post it.  Thanks for reading!

I own nothing.

**Chapter 9: Stealth in the Night**

Ron and Hermione crept closer to what they assumed to be the Riddle House. From what Harry had said to them, besides the fact of getting lost once or twice, they had made it there in good timing. Snape had mentioned something about not rescuing Harry till tomorrow night. They figured they could rest up 'til then, lying low, then sneaking in to help Snape.

Not far from the Riddle house stood an old abandoned church. Between the church and the house was a graveyard.

Ron and Hermione snuck around the side of the Riddle house.

"Ron!" Hermione snapped in a harsh whisper, " Quit stepping on every twig you see! Do you want every Death Eater to hear?"

"Sorry Hermione, I can't exactly see now can I? It's pitch black. Where are we going anyway?"

"We'll head for that old abandoned church over there. We can lie low in there and see how the Death Eaters cone in and out. I don't know exactly where the entrance is, but we'll figure that out once we watch it for a while."

They had now reached the entrance to the graveyard. A five-foot high stone wall ran around the graveyard, enclosing it. Two eight foot high iron gates, were placed one facing the direction of the Riddle house, the other facing the church.

Ron reached up to push the gate open. Hermione grabbed his hand to stop him from doing so.

"Ron! We aren't going to use the gate! Do you know how old this is?"

"Ah…very old?"

"Exactly. So since this is 'very old', more the likely this gate's going to make some noise when we push it open. I suggest we climb over the wall." Hermione bent over, toward Ron with her hands knitted together, looking up at Ron expectantly.

"Oh alright." Ron put his foot in Hermione's hands and grabbed the wall. Hermione boosted the rest of Ron up enough for him to scramble ontop of the wall. He reached down a hand to grab Hermione's when a noise caught their attention. On the outside of the stone wall, to their right, rose a dark figure, which could only be the form of a death eater. Hermione hissed for Ron to jump down on the other side.

Hermione was able to hop onto the wall and pull the hood of her sweatshirt over her face, before the death eater turned and spotted her. To her horror, she could just catch a wisp of long blonde hair out of the corner of her eye. Hair that could belong to none other than Lucius Malfoy.

The death eater walked over and stepped right in front of Hermione. She kept her head lowered so he could not see her face. She could tell by the way his boots were positioned he was facing her.

"And what are you doing her?" he snarled.

Hermione kept her eyes lowered and her head down. She said nothing.

"Speak, child, before I force you too!"

Hermione put on her best matter-of-fact voice, thankful that she had taken theatre classes during the summer holidays previous, and thankful that she was small for her age, she answered, "My father says that I should never talk to strangers." She took a breath and continued, " And to answer your first question; I'm praying."

It was the first thing that had popped into her head. And it was partially true; she was praying Lucius would leave her alone and not recognize her.

"Praying? Shouldn't you be doing that in a church?" Lucius asked sarcastically.

"No," Hermione replied simply, "God can hear my prayers anywhere and anytime." Hermione had her hands in her sweatshirt pocket, her right hand grasping the handle of her wand tightly in case the exchange turned too dangerous.

"Are you sure? Could this god of yours be powerful enough to hear from someone underground?"

"Well yes-"

"How about we try it out. Come down here and we'll try it."

Hermione's mind was racing. She wouldn't go with Lucius Malfoy if her life depended on it! In no way was that an option either. She had to somehow give Ron an idea or something to get Malfoy Sr. out of their way, but without magic and without him recognizing them.

"Well I have to think about it, but while I'm thinking about it; can I ask you a couple quick questions?"

"Depends on-"

"Great! I'll be 'quick' then, get it? 'Quick?'" Hermione let out a small, forced laugh and continued, "Do you like rocks? I sure don't, but my little brother is so fascinated with them! He loves to throw them around. I don't like them, because when they hit people, it can really-"

_Smack!_ Malfoy Sr. groaned and pitched sideways, falling to the ground out cold.

"-hurt them." Hermione finished, smiling. "Nice one, Ron."

"No problem."

Ron helped Hermione into the graveyard. They reached the church not long afterward with no further entanglements.

"Praying huh?"

"What? I had to think of something and it was partly true. I was praying we would some how get out of this mess without getting captured. It worked didn't it?"

"Whatever you say Hermione. I think it was just luck."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders and dropped it. They kept watch from the church windows, being careful to stay out of line of sight whenever a dark figure appeared.

Once it got too dark to see, Ron and Hermoine spent their time discussing in hushed whispers what they should do, or sleeping. The old church pews were an eyesore, but were softer than the cement floor. By midnight, they were both curled up on their own pews fast asleep.

Snape stood impatiently at the door of Grimmauld Place. Someone finally came to the door and let him in.

"Remus I need to talk with you." Snape said curtly to the open-mouthed werewolf with had let him in.

Remus closed the door (and his mouth), locked the locks on the door, then followed Snape into the kitchen. Snape raised his wand into the air and said, "Silencio." This would keep any unwanted ears from hearing anything. He turned to Remus, "I need some of your hair, Remus."

Remus stood there dumbstruck for a few seconds, before he found his voice, "My…my hair? Whatever for?"

Snape was trying very hard not to loose his patience when he replied, "I need your hair to complete the polyjuice potion, idiot."

" But doesn't polyjuice take a month to brew?"

"Yes, however I normally keep some extra stored away in case of emergencies."

"Severus how was I supposed to know you were using it for polyjuice, there are hundreds of potions out there that require a person's hair…"

"Get on with it Remus! Can I have some of your hair or not?"

"I will as long as you tell me what you are using the polyjuice for."

Snape huffed annoyed with all the time he was wasting, "Fine. Dumbledore wants me to keep spying for the Order, but he also wants me to rescue Potter tonight. Now I obviously can't save Potter and still spy for the Order. Al least not as myself."

"Well then why didn't Dumbledore have me save him?""

Snape, exasperated, drew up the last of his patience, taking on a voice as if he were explaining this to a group of first year potion students. "Because, Lupin, you have to have the dark mark to get into the place."

"Well then how are you getting in if you're me?"

"I an not going to drink it right away. I have to let the Dark Lord know I'm there, otherwise they will know it's me." Snape was ticked by now.

"Here." Remus dropped a couple of his hairs into the container Snape held out to him, "Good luck."

Snape left Grimmauld Place with his robes once again billowing behind him.


	10. Sleep for all Eternity

**Chapter 10**: Sleep for all Eternity 

Unbeknownst to him, Harry had been under the 'sick' potion for almost 24 hours. It had been some of the most miserable hours he had ever been under, and that is saying something.

The pain it had triggered kept Harry from getting any sleep. Although half the time, he was delirious. Not having a clue in the world where he was during these phases. He couldn't even remember anything that had happened right after the Death Eaters, or rather Snape, had forced the potion down his throat. Snape was practically sitting on him by the time he had poured the potion into Harry's pried-open mouth.

It had taken six death eaters to hold him down, two more to pry Harry's jaws apart enough to let Snape slip the potion through Harry's mouth.

He had them quickly clamp Harry's mouth shut, plug his nose, and tilting his head back so he would swallow. It took only a few seconds for the potion to work. Harry broke into a cold sweat over his entire body, shivering uncontrollably, head pounding in his ears. His temperature rose and eventually, within a matter of minutes, Harry was completely unaware of where he was, energy gone and drained. He would eventually stare hallucinating many of the terrors that he feared.

Snape had taken the very delirious Harry back to his cell. They would wait 24 hours, before giving the antidote. That much time, they hoped would weaken him enough to give them information. If not, Snape would administer the 'veritaserum'.

Tomorrow night was also the night Snape would be putting his life on the line for someone he didn't even care for; or so he thought. Snape had been keeping a close eye on Harry, making sure he had something to eat and drink everyday, trying to calculate the extent of his injuries, so Madame Pomfrey would be ready for anything and everything. He checked up on Harry only on Albus's orders. He would pay Harry visits, when he was deep in sleep, to have some kind of assessment to report back to Dumbledore.

More than once, Snape would feel something in his black heart stir, every time he had to check the teen over. He had nearly been sick when he first saw the whiplash wounds on the boy's back. He had nearly had a heart attack when he realized the boy had a fractured skull at one point.

Luckily the Potter boy had never woken up when Snape was in the middle of one of his examinations. These were extremely dangerous, if Voldemort ever found out, he would most definitely put two-and-two together and Snape would bet 100,000 gold galleons that he would guess what was going on.

Snape knelt down next to Harry and pulled a vial filled with what looked like a black potion. He gently lifted the boy's head, pulling the stopper of the vial out with his teeth and put the vial to Harry's lips.

Snape could see that the antidote had started working as soon as it reached the boy's throat.

To Harry, who had felt that he had been in a huge oven, while being run over by a train then being chased by a thousand dementors, already felt the antidote begin to work. It was a cool sensation to the oven. Almost like water putting out the fires all over his body. It spread over his face then around the back of his head, down to his arms, torso, reaching to the tips of his toes. It gave him energy to step out of the way of the train and strength for his patronus to chase away the dementors.

Harry was only given a few seconds of relief before the old aches and pains hit. The potion had, thankfully cleared his mind. Marry groaned when he tried to take a breath, his broken rib and his bruised ones kept him from taking a full breath.

Snape helped him sit up as harry started to cough.

"Potter, you are to come with me. The Dark Lord requests your presence."

Harry stiffened and croaked out some rather inappropriate names and labels.

"Watch your mouth. If we weren't in this situation I'd scourgify your mouth out. Now up you get Potter."

Snape stood and pulled Harry to his feet. He swayed a little as a wave of dizziness came over him. Snape held his upper arm to steady him. "I'm going to be a little rough Harry, to keep up appearances so play along." Snape grabbed him to get a firmer hold on Harry and led him out of the cell. Harry let him, for he was still slightly dazed, the puzzlement over Snape's comment showed on his face.

Harry's legs felt like jelly as he walked down the corridors with Snape. ''What did he mean, keep up appearances?' Harry thought as they turned down yet another corridor.

They did not have long to go before they reached the room which only had a chair positioned in it.

Snape threw Harry, none too gently, in the chair. He waved his wand; ropes leaping out of it and snaking around Harry's waist and feet tightly to the chair. As an afterthought, Snape's waved his wand again, tying Harry's wrists to the chair as well.

"Harry Potter," came the high cold voice off to Harry's left. "I will give you a choice," Voldemort knowing full well they would give Harry the Veritaserum whether he cooperated or not. "You can either tell us right now what the Prophecy is now or Severus will be giving you a dose of Veritserum to drag it out of you."

Harry sat there with his jaw shut not saying a word, glaring murder at Voldemort. He was not going to make easy for any of them.

Voldemort obviously got the hint, and nodded slightly to the formally unseen Deatheaters. Two of them came up behind Harry and grabbed his face, trying to pry his mouth open. Harry just gritted harder. Another Deatheater, Bellatrix, at what Harry heard snarled in a disgusted voice to the other deatheaters to get out of the way. They instantly let go, and before Harry could blink, something connected hard with the side of his dace, causing his neck to whip to the side, and a gasp to escape his lips. Snape pounced on the opportunity, before Harry realized he had let his mouth open, Snape yanked his head back by his hair and poured a disgusting tasting substance down Harry's throat, plugging his nose in the process. The instant the vial was drained, Snape clamped his mouth shut. Without being able to breathe, Harry was forced to swallow.

The effect was almost instantaneous; Harry's eyes glazed over as he relaxed a bit and his mind was wiped of any worry or thought. He sat up a little when someone spoke to him.

"Mr. Potter, Would you be so kind as to inform us of the contents of the Prophecy?"

Harry turned his gaze to the speaker, and replied, "yes." Harry sighed loudly and continued in a long monotonous voice. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, he will have power the Dark Lord knows…And neither can die at the hand of the other for both must live,.. The one with the power to vanquish the dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…" harry blinked the glazed look still over his eyes.

The room had gone completely quiet when Harry had begun, but as soon as he finished, the broke out in numerous furious whispers; steadily growing louder. When the discussions became close to shouting matches, Voldemort shouted, "SILENCE!!"

Instantly the room went quiet. The room stayed that way for several seconds before Bellatrix spoke up barely above a whisper, "Master…"

"I want everyone out except Severus." He snapped sharply. They all filed out like disobedient children sent to their rooms. When the door closed behind the last Deatheater, Voldemort motioned to Severus to join him on the other side of the room, away from Harry. They spoke in hushed whispers for awhile.

The glazed look, meanwhile, was leaving Harry. Near the end of the discussion Harry was back to his old self, well what he was before he was given the 'veritaserum'.

He could catch a word here and there of what they were saying, something about "Him…alive…could use…Draught…. Living Death." Harry had no idea what they were talking about other than him. 'Draught? Living Death?' He had heard that somewhere before. Harry thought hard, trying to remember where he had heard it.

He was still trying to rack his memory when Snape and Voldemort broke out of their conversation, both turning to Harry. Snape's lips curled once again into a sneer as he spoke, "Tell me, Mr. Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry swallowed as he felt the blood drain from his face. No, no, no, no. This is bad. They wouldn't. They would put him to sleep for all time!

"No." Harry whispered unconsciously, his eyes wide.

"Yes, Potter, very good. I see I didn't waste all my time on trying to teach you things no one actually paid attention to."

Harry was wriggling furiously trying to loosen the cords that were wrapped tightly around him.

Voldemort laughed at Harry's futile attempt to free himself. "Severus, be my guest, and give the boy what he is squirming for." Seeing as he could not free himself from the cords, he would fight or all it was worth, giving Snape a hard time in the process.

He clamped his mouth shut again, though his jaws hurt like mad from when Bellatrix had slapped him.

Snape reached into his cloak and pulled out three items. "You can either drink this," Snape held up a vial filled with a violent violet colored potion. "Or we can do it this way," he held up a syringe and the vial of creamy white potion.

Harry swallowed hard, his tongue felt thick in his mouth. He swallowed again. He didn't want to do the latter, but he didn't want to drink the stuff either. If he drank it, he was almost positive that the draught would start working as soon as it touched his lips, but yet the other would be much more painful. This would also work quickly, as it would immediately hit his bloodstream. 'Maybe, I could act like I'm going to drink it and I'll drop the bottle to shatter it! Then I wouldn't have to take it! Snape wouldn't think of bringing a second vial would he?' Harry was not completely sure if Snape would do this, but he was willing to take his chances.

He swallowed again and looked up at Snape, "I'll drink it." Snape waved his wand and the ropes disappeared. Harry made to get up, but Snape pushed him back and pointed his wand in Harry's face. He handed the potion to Harry. Harry uncorked the vial and made to bring it to his lips. Harry's lightning fast quidditch reflects helped him as he threw the vial as hard as he could toward the floor. As the vial made contact, it shattered into a million pieces.

Voldemort looked annoyed by this and Snape looked closer to pissed. "Well, potter since you obviously don't want, we'll have to do it the hard way." Then to Harry's horror, Snape pulled out a second vial of the violent violet potion and the creamy white potion as well as the syringe. Harry gulped, paling considerably. Snape waved his wand again and the chair Harry was sitting in reclined placing Harry on his back, his eyes wide with fear. Snape ignored them conjuring ropes to coil back around Harry.

Snape turned from Harry as he began to slowly move the contents of the vial into the syringe. He placed the empty bottle back inside his cloak and pulled out the vial of creamy white potion.

Snape grabbed Harry's wrist, forcing it out flat. He uncorked the bottle with his teeth and poured a drop onto Harry's arm. The potion hissed as it made contact with Harry's skin a small stream of blood-red smoke coming from it. Snape clasped Harry's wrist tightly and inserted the needle.

As soon as the needle touched his skin, his arm exploded into unbearable pain. Harry screamed and screamed try to wretch his wrist out of Snape's iron grip, but it was in vain. Harry screamed louder still as, truth be told, blood vessels were erupting all up and down his arm, mounting the pain to a crescendo.

"Make it stop! Make it stop!" Slowly the potion started to work, making him feel drowsy. Then he felt himself going numb all over. The screams died as Harry slipped into an unconsciousness he was sure he would never wake from again.


	11. The Great Escape

Sorry everybody for taking so long in updating. I didn't mean to take so long in posting. Before you know it time gets away from you. I actually had this written ages ago but never got around to typing it up. I actually am three or four chapters into part two so stay tuned! This is the final chapter of part one. When it gets finished I may end up combining the parts, but for now I'll leave it as is. This chapter is much longer so it is a treat for all of you who have been waiting so long. Enjoy!

PS: You might want to go back and skim the previous chapter or two to refresh the story line 

**Chapter 11: The Great Escape**

Snape felt torn to the very core. He could barely keep his hands from visibly shaking. Potter, and his idiotic actions, had forced Snape into doing what he had never wanted to do. If Potter ever saw his face again, he would be on the receiving end of something horrid. He supposed he might have been able to get away with just the syringe, but one could never be too sure. Besides, Voldemort knew Snape had not tortured Harry before, Snape knew he had to do something or the Dark Lord would be getting suspicious. If Potter, had just drunk the potion, things would have gone much smoother .

After returning the limp boy to his cell, Severus headed up to the entrance. He was training a new guard tonight. Voldemort had wanted to train a new recrewt, teach him stealth, things like that. Snape had met the guy only once before. He had found him to be quite the idiot, worse than Crabbe and Goyle. He was somewhat of a clutts at times and reminded Snape of that nutter of a portrait Sir Cadogan. Snape still did not get why the man had joined.

Snape stepped out into the night. A twig snapped and a shaky voice said, "Who's…wwhoo's tthere?"

"It's me you idiot! And get your wand out of my face!" Snape snapped.

"Sir. Yes, sir." The guard put his hand to his hand, standing up straight as if saluting a superior officer.

"Oh shut up." Snape rolled his eyes toward the skies and thought to himself, '_heaven, help me!_'

Not far off, Ron and Hermione were crouched behind the corner of the wall, listening intently to the conversation.

"Why don't we just hex the git and get the show on the road." Ron whispered in an annoyed tone.

"No Ron! If one guard is down and Snape just goes waltzing back in, it is going to look very weird."

"I know, but the guy's a ditz!"

"Keep it down, Ron!" Hermione hissed.

They heard a crack and Snape was gone.

"Where'd the slimeball go?" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione clapped her hand over his mouth and hissed into his ear. "Ron if you aren't going to talk quietly, I will put a silencing spell on you myself!" Ron nodded seeing her very serious expression. "Just because the guy's an airhead, doesn't mean he's deaf!"

Ron's eyes widened to almost as big as saucers and pointed to something. Hermione turned to see what Ron was pointing at , and almost gasped aloud at what she saw.

There, only ten feet in front of them crouched Lupin; only Lupin was dressed in Death Eater clothes. He was putting on the stark white mask, then adjusted his hood to cover all other facial features.

Remus snuck up behind the quard and put his want to the guard's throat. The guard jumped almost two feet in the air.

"That is what you call stealth." The guard visibly relaxed at the sound of Snape's voice.

"Oiy, Snape! Didn't hear you comin'.

"That's the idea." '_Snape? He called Remus, Snape?This guy is clearly messed up in the head or was there something else going on that they didn't know?_' Hermione thought.

Hermione would have laughed at the purely dumbfounded look on Ron's face, if the moment hadn't been so serious. The pair continued listening to the conversation, between Remus and the thickheaded guard.

"I need to go inside for a little while and then I'll be back." The voice was clearly Snape's, but Hermione was positive that it was Remus she saw crouched in front of them. She pulled the invisibility cloak out of her pocket and motioned Ron to get under the cloak as well.

They moved as quickly and quietly as they could without making a noise. Remus had now rolled up the sleeve of his cloak and pressed his forearm to the wall. '_This was not making sense!_ ' Hermione thought as she and Ron ran to stand directly behind Remus so they could get in as well. '_Wait a minute! Remus doesn't have the dark mark! Does he?'_

She didn't think so, but maybe he was a spy that no one knew about.

The wall slide open. Ron and Hermione rushed in after Remus. They were pulled to a halt and nearly fell over. They both turned around and realized the invisibility cloak had gotten stuck in the door. They would have to leave it behind and proceed without it.

They quietly slipped it off of them and pulled out their wands. They stuck to the shadows and followed Remus. He had turned the corner up ahead. When they reached the passage, it was deserted.

"Darn it!" Ron mumbled under his breath.

Hermione signaled him to be quiet. It would not do to get themselves caught, because they had been too noisy. The teenagers moved cautiously down the corridor, listening at the doorways. They did this for quite some time, pausing at each door to listen, and hiding in the shadows when death eaters came by. Every now and then, they heard conversations, behind doors, but nothing that sounded important. At last, after forty-five minutes of sneaking, they heard the a familiar grumbling coming from a slightly ajar door, " Just so you know, Potter, if it ever comes down to this again, I am not saving your pathetic life! No matter what that old coot of a man says…"

The voice went on grumbling. Hermione had never heard Remus gripe about Harry before, and he certainly had never called him 'Potter', especially with such dislike in his voice. Something was definitely getting fishy.

Hermione decided the best thing to do right now was find out what was going on. She grabbed Ron's clammy hand and pushed the door open slightly. It creaked loudly on its hinges, causing the death eater to turn. As quick as lightning, he had whipped out his wand making the door close and lock with a click.

Hermione and Ron both had their wands raised, but before either of them could blink their wands had flown out of their hands and into those of the death eater.

The man stuffed the wands into his robes hastily. He grabbed Ron and Hermione and pushed them both up against a wall, bearing down on them, his grip tightening painfully on their arms. Hermione let out a small gasp from the shock of such swift movements from the death eater. Ron, obviously thought she had gasped in pain, snarled at the death eater, "Get your hands off her!"

The man ignored him and squeezed a bit harder, "What in merlin's name are you two doing here?!-"

"What do you think, idiot?" Ron snarled

"Ron!"

"It is clear, Mr. Weasley, that your parents did nothing to fix your respect level of authority. You both are already in serious trouble, and if you push me, I swear I'll-" but the man's lecture was cut off, by a sound outside the door. It shuffled, then moved away. The death eater let go of Ron and Hermione. They relaxed and rubbed their arms where the man had had a hold on them. Remus waved his wand again, putting a silencing charm on the room.

Hermione ran to the lone figure on the floor covered in a ratty looking blanket. She fell to her knees and let out a stifled sob. It was Harry. He was black and blue all over, cuts and scars everywhere. Broken or fractured bones clearly visiable. Hermione buried her face in her hands, in tears, rocking herself.

It was not these horrid things that caused Hermione's deep distress but it was the fact that the body lie completely still. It did not stir. Harry's eyes were closed as if in peace, his face calm. Ron was stunned into silence for almost a full thirty seconds not listening to what the death eater said. Just watching Harry's still form, willing it to move. Ron's brain started to work again. His eyes clouded with rage, anger and extreme sadness. He lunged at the death eater, going for his throat. The death eater, quicker than one could blink, side-stepped, grabbed one of Ron's arms and twisted it behind his back. Ron gasped.

"Mr. Weasley, if you do that again you will sorely regret it. Miss Granger," Snape snapped, "stop your bawling for two minutes and get back over here!" Hermione seemed to stop rocking and sobbing, but did not leave Harry's side.

"Miss Granger, now! You had better not make me come over there and fetch you!" Hermione got up shakily, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"Yes, Professor Snape I'm coming." Ron stood there, still in Snape's armlock with his mouth hanging open. Snape's lip twitched slightly as if trying extremely hard to keep from smiling.

"Very good, Miss Granger. I'm glad that at least one of us in here figured it out."

Ron having gotten over the shock, snarled back sarcastically, "I take it that would include you as being in the room."

Snape twisted Ron's arm a bit more, not enough to break it, but enough to cause a wave of pain to shoot up the length of his arm and peaking at his shoulder. Ron inhaled sharply with a hiss as Snape growled in a low, icy voice, "One more retort from you Mr. Weasley, and you'll have a sore backside once we get out of here. I guarantee you."

"Professor!"

"Don't push it, Miss Granger." Snape snarled. He let go of Ron and motioned for both of them to sit on the floor. Once they were seated, however reluctant on Ron's part to obey anything Snape said, he continued. "Potter is very ill and in dangerously poor health. He was given what is called the Draught of Living Death, meaning-"

"That although the drinker may appear- deceased in all physical signs, symptoms and tests, he is not really dead, but is in a form of human hibernation.-"

"Silence." Snape snapped in a severe whisper. Footsteps could be heard drawing nearer as the group stopped to listen. The sound walked right past their door without pause. Hermione let out a breath of air she didn't realize she had been holding.

"Yes Miss Granger, that is right. Harry was only given enough to last a week. I believe now that it is time for us to depart. As both of you are here, I will just have to make use of you. You will both carry Harry out, and when I say out I mean out. Do not worry about me, do _not_ come back for me. Am I understood?" Snape's eyes narrowed as he pierced them both with a cold glare, daring them to object.

Hermione glared right back and spoke in a calm, controlled voice, "Professor, wouldn't it be better if you carried Harry and the two of us cover you? That way you could have two people covering you. I think we would be able to get out of here quicker if you carried him. He is dead weight after all." She sniffled when she said dead. "It would be a little hard for two of us to carry him at once. And he weighs more than one of us can handle alone."

Snape was quiet for a moment, then spoke arching one eyebrow, "I can see your point Miss Granger, but what if one of you goes down and my arms are full with Potter?"

"We'll get Harry out of there," Ron replied hoarsely. Snape raised an eyebrow as he contemplated Ron.

"Very well then. If one of you falls behind, our first priority is to get Potter out. I have a small bottle that I can turn into a portkey once we get Harry out. That will get whichever one of you is left and Potter, safely to Hogwarts. I will then return and retrieve those left behind and apparate out."

"Sounds good."

Snape pulled a vial out of his robes. It was filled with what looked like a grayish, goopy mud. He downed it and the slightest trace of disgust could be detected on his face, and then it was gone.

Snape went over to Harry to pick him up. He bent down, lifting the limp form slowly and carefully so as not to increase any of the damage already done to him. Ron obviously though he was having problems lifting Harry and was going to say as much in a sarcastic tone, "Having prob-"

Hermione had clamped a hand over Ron's mouth.

Snape rose with the seemingly lifeless form of Harry. His eyes narrowed shrudely, voice a dangerous tone, "What was that, Mr. Weasley?"

Hermione removed her hand, throwing Ron a warning look. Ron glanced at Snape and mumbled. "Nothing, Sir."

"That's what I thought."

"It still bothered Hermione, that she saw Remus in such a foul mood. Knowing it was really Snape didn't help much, for her eyes saw Remus, not Snape. It still puzzled her how Snape had got in if disguised as Remus, wouldn't his entire appearance change? She had to find out.

"Professor?"

"We need to be going Miss Granger, so whatever it is, just spit it out."

Ron opened his mouth to protest Snape's rudeness. Hermione stepped on his foot hard to keep his mouth shut. He mumble some none too appropriate words under his breath, hopping around on one foot.

"I just wanted to know, Professor, how you were able to get past the entrance if you were already Remus. And how it was that when you were talking with the guard, it still sounded like you." Hermione said all of this very quickly while Ron continued to hop around the room, throwing nasty glares at Hermione all the while.

"I was able to enter, because the Dark Lord put a charm on all the Dark Marks so that whenever a Death Eater uses any kind of potion or spell to hide or disguise themselves, that it will not be conceiled. So no matter what I use I will always have the Dark Mark. Secondly I used a voice modifier charm on myself to keep my voice just while talking with the guard."

"Oh."

"Let's go. We've stood here babbling long enough. I want complete silence unless we go under attack. Got it?"

Hermione and Ron both mumbled a "Yes, sir." Snape gave them a curt nod.

"Wands out." He shifted Harry's weight and pulled out his wand. Then readjusted Harry. He waved his wand and the door opened. Snape stepped out first, followed closely by Ron then Hermione.

They moved down the corridor in almost complete silence for about half an hour. When a death eater came by, they slipped into a dark hallway, pressing themselves against the walls, not daring to breath. When the death eaters passed, they would continue on.

They moved quickly for another ten minutes, Ron and Hermione realized where they were, and it was not far from the entrance, when they heard a horrid, gut-wretching scream of rage. Ron and Hermione looked fearfully at Snape, eyes wide.

"Come. We must move quickly." They were able to turn two more corners, before they ran into a group of about fifteen death eaters in front of them. Ron, Hermione, and Snape slid to a stop. The Death Eaters made their way toward the fleeing group, wands raised.

One of the Death Eaters hurled the first curse. Ron, Snape, and Hermione dodged one, two three curses. They evaded and blocked the next round, while throwing in a few hexes themselves. The hallway was like an indoor fireworks display. Pure chaos.

Ron had put a shield charm on Snape and Harry. They somehow managed to get out the correct side of the mess. Hermione was still in the thick of it. She glanced their way and shouted, "GO!"

The time it took for her to yell, caused her shield around herself to break.

"HERMIONE!" Ron shouted

"Mr. Weasley we need to go! I'll come back for her. She'll hold her own until then!" _'I hope._' Snape thought. Ron turned around and they both ran as fast as they could, leaving Hermione and the Death Eaters behind them. Ron's heart was torn when he knew he had to leave her, but they had a job to do. They reached the entrance. Ron pulled the cloak over himself as the door to the outside world opened.

Snape expected to see the guard standing there waiting for him, but there he was, lying against the wall with his chin resting on his chest, obviously sleeping by the sound of his loud snoring.

"This will take you both to the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. Tell Dumbledore everything. I will hopefully be joining you shortly." Not five seconds after Snape had said as much, Ron and Harry disappeared.

Snape ran back past the sleeping guard and entered again. He had to get to Hermione and quickly. He knew all too well what the Death Eaters could and would do to her if they were able to capture her.

He tore down the halls and had just rounded the last corner, when he heard and saw the jeering.

"What a pretty little thing you are my dear! A little spitfire aren't we? Who wants to tame the filly first?"

Snape felt his stomach clench and his heart turn to ice. Snape waved his wand and shouted. "BOMBARDO!" The ceiling collapsed and fell on top of the Death Eaters. As the dust settled, he found Hermione. Miraculously, none of the debris had fallen on her. However, when he saw her trembling and shaking on the floor curled tightly into the fetal position, holding herself, he paled considerably. Snape knelt down next to her, touching her shoulder. Flinching under his sudden touch, she opened her eyes wide, fear written all over her. Snape gently brushed away a few strands of hair out of her face.

"Hermione, did they…" he asked quietly, his eyes filled with concern and worry. Hermione, obviously understood what he was indicating, shook her head no, but did not speak.

Snape visiably signed with relief. He closed his eyes tiredly and opening them again. "Do you think you are up for walking?" He asked tentatively. She paused for half a second, before shaking her head no, once again. She looked exhausted and could easily sleep for days.

Snape gently took her in his arms. Hermione put her arms around his neck and buried her face in his robes. He moved swiftly from the sight, wanting to get as far away from it as soon as possible. He realized his robes were slightly damp. Hermione was crying. He adjusted her slightly and exited the entrance, the guard still sleeping. Snape turned and walked a little ways from the guard.

"I'm going to apparate us now, Hermione, so hold on." He whispered in her ear. She responded by tightening her grip around his neck and turning her face further into his robes.

With a crack, they were gone.

The guard woke with a start, disturbed out of his slumber by a cracking noise, and then barging out was a huge group of Death Eaters, all looking pissed and Lord Voldemort, in an obvious towering rage. His eyes flashed dangerously when he looked down at the guard groveling on the ground.

"You let them escape, because you were sleeping!"

"Who?...What?" The Death Eater looked slightly confused.

"The auror, and the three teenagers, you idiot!"

"Um…well…I will do better in the future, Master, I promise! Please forgive me! I beg you, my lord!"

"I do not forgive."

There was a blinding flash of green light and the guard slumped dead onto the ground.

End part I


End file.
